Indore: Madhya Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel has said that women in urban areas do not breastfeed their children as they fear it will spoil their figure.

File image of Anandiben Patel. PTI

"Even today, women in cities believe that it (breastfeeding) will spoil their figure, which is why they do not breastfeed their children. They start bottle feeding their children," Patel said on Wednesday during a programme at an Anganwadi centre in Kashipuri.

"If the children are bottle-fed then their fate will also be shattered the way a bottle does," she added. Patel also stressed on the need for a wholesome diet for the health of the newborn and the mother.

The governor advised pregnant women to register themselves with the Anganwadi centres to avail the benefits of government schemes. She also encouraged women to take advantage the Centre's Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), an initiative aimed at reducing exposure of women and children to smoke by providing clean cooking fuel.